Abstract

This paper is an exploratory attempt at generating a virtue ethicsscale for managers from the Philippines, using the initial listing ofShanahan and Hyman (2003). The survey questionnaire consistingof 34 virtues was administered to a sample of 141 business andfinance postgraduate students who are managers in the companies inPhilippines. Based on the factor analysis of the responses to the itemson the virtues questionnaire, the following were the resulting virtueor trait factors: (1) Care and concern, (2) Competence, (3) Ambition,and (4) Superiority. The four resulting virtue factors comparemore or less with the virtue listings generated in the literature:“Care and concern” is analogous to “empathy” and “respect”; and“competence” seems akin to “integrity”, “trust”, and “reliability” inthe literature. The results corroborate evidence in the Virtue Ethicsliterature that proposes the virtue theory as an improved ethicalparadigm for business. It is indeed possible to augment teleologicaland deontological ethics scales with a virtue ethics scale that cancause both the researcher and the respondents to be more awareof the virtuous qualities of business people and managers. Suchclassifications can aid scale validation and development, which inturn could help push the strategic role of the virtue ethics theory.Keywords: Ethics Scales, Philippine Managers, Virtue Ethics